EMCC’s golf season concludes with fifth-place district tournament finish at Lion Hills

COLUMBUS – The East Mississippi Community College men's golf team concluded its 2017-18 season with a fifth-place finish at the NJCAA District D Championship held this past weekend at Lion Hills.

As hosts of the two-day tournament, Coach Benji Williams' EMCC Lions followed an opening-round 332 with Sunday's 344 to finish with a 676 team total.  Mississippi Gulf Coast (292-299—591) claimed its 10^th region/district golf team title in 11 years with a 13-stroke victory over runner-up Meridian (295-309—604).  Third-place East Central (315-316—631) also earned a berth in the upcoming NJCAA Division II Men's Golf Championship, set for May 21-24 at GlenLakes Golf Club in Foley, Ala.  Copiah-Lincoln (311-334—645) finished fourth in the district tournament.

Gulf Coast's Brice Wilkinson earned district medalist honors by ranking as the only individual in the 29-player field to finish under par for the tournament.  He followed Saturday's 3-under-par 69 with a 2-over 74 on Sunday to finish five strokes ahead of runner-up Rhett Walters of Meridian (71-77—148).  MGCCC teammates Colby Blake (72-78) and Carter Nicholson (76-74) tied for third place with two-round scores of 150.  Meridian's Isaiah Jackson (72-79—151) and Colby Entriken of Gulf Coast (78-73—151) shared fifth-place honors.

Freshman Coleman Suber, of Calhoun City, led East Mississippi with rounds of 81 and 80 to finish in a three-way tie for 18^th place.  Freshman Dylan Cash, out of New Hope High School, tied for 21^st place with a two-day score of 163 (81-82).  Freshman Stone Tipton, of Hamilton, and lone sophomore Eli Hemphill, from Caledonia, rounded out the Lions' district tournament scorecard by placing 27^th (81-92—173) and 29^th (89-90—179), respectively.